The present invention relates to a warp or weft knitted fabric, in particular but not exclusively, a knitted fabric suitable for making garments.
Fabrics for garments are commonly knitted using thermoplastics yarns such as polyamide or polyesters. The fabric may be knitted using either warp knitting or weft knitting techniques.
Once knitted, it is common for the fabric to be heat set in order to give the fabric stable dimensions and/or shape. Heat setting is achieved by stretching the fabric to the required dimension/shape and raising the temperature of the fabric to the setting temperature of the yarn whereat a permanent change is induced viz. a new memory position is introduced into the yarn and it loses some of its stretch recovery capabilities and usually becomes relatively stiff. The fabric therefore thereafter retains the dimension/shape to which it was stretched during the heat setting process.
Accordingly, once the fabric has been heat set, it tends to lose its soft feel and handle qualities.
A general aim of the present invention is to provide a knitted fabric which is knitted using thermoplastics yarns as ground yarns and which is dimensionally stable without fully heat setting of the ground yarns.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a knitted fabric comprising a plurality of knitted stitches which are interconnected to define a plurality of courses and wales, the knitted stitches being formed from a heat fusible yarn, with at least some of said stitches being formed from said heat fusible yarn plated with a ground yarn, the heat fusible yarn being fused together at points of contact on adjacent stitches in order to give the fabric a desired dimensional stability and shape.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a process for setting the coursewise and walewise dimensions and/or three dimensional shape of a fabric, the process including the steps of knitting a fabric so as to comprise a plurality of knitted stitches which are interconnected to define a plurality of courses and wales, the knitted stitches being formed from a heat fusible yarn with at least some of said stitches being formed from heat fusible yarn plated with a ground yarn having a setting temperature greater than the fusing temperature at which the heat fusible yarn become fusible, stretching the fabric on a former to stretch the fabric to desired coursewise and walewise dimensions and/or three dimensional shape, heating the fabric whilst on said former to at least the fusing temperature and preferably below said heat setting temperature, in order to cause the fusible yarn to fuse together at points of contact between the fusible yarn and subsequently cooling and removing the fabric from the former.
Preferably the heat fusible yarn is an elastomeric yarn.
Preferably the ground yarn is a thermoplastics yarn such as a polyamide or polyester. The heat fusible yarn is fusible at a temperature below the heat setting temperature of the thermoplastics yarn; the difference in these temperatures being dependent on the fibre type and the method of heating to effect fusing.